Track-sanding device.



Ilo. 68!,796. Patented Sept. 3, I901. W. H. KILBOUBN.

TRACK SANDING DEVICE.

(Application mad Dec- 6, 1900.)

(In Model.)

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UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

"WASHINGTON HARVY KILBOURN, OF GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRACK-SANDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,796, dated September 3, 1901.

Application filed December 5, 1900. Serial No. 38,804. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WASHINGTON HARVY KILBOURN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Greenfield, in the countyof Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Track-Sanding Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to railway-track-sanding devices designed especially for use upon street-railway tracks, the device being of that character in which sand is fed from a box or hopper to a conducting-chute by means of a novel feeding device operated at will by an attendant on the car or by other means.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a reciprocating feed-box or carrier adapted to receive sand from the hopper and to retain the sand for a short period of time, and to so construct the feed-box or carrier and a conducting-chute over which it moves that as the carrier reciprocates it will deliver sand from its end portions to opposing sections of the conducting-chute, the chute being so constructed that all the sand delivered thereto will find an exit at a common outlet.

A further purpose of the invention is to so construct the feed-box or carrier that in one position it will completely cut off the supply of sand from the hopper to the conductingchute.

Another purpose of the invention is to pro vide means whereby friction, due to the passage of sand will be reduced to a minimum and also to so constructa delivery-chute and connect it with the conducting-chute and a truck of the car that the delivery-chute will be located over a rail at all points in a curved section as well as at a straight section of the track over which the car may pass.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as willbe hereinafter fullyset forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a car, parts being broken away to disclose the improved device, which appears also in side elevation. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the hopper, the feed-box or carrier, and the upper portion of the conductingchute. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the hopper, the feed-box or carrier, and the conducting-chute; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the supports for the hopper, illustrating the feed-box or carrier and upper portion of the conducting-chute in plan View.

A represents an end portion of a street-car, B the platform, and O a portion of a seat. At any point within the car, usually beneath a seat 0, the sanding device is located. An opening is made in the bottom or floor of the car, preferably near the platform B and between the plat-form and one of the trucks of the car. This opening is closed byaplate 11, and the said plate is provided with a 10ngitudinal opening, below which opening a conducting-chute 12 is secured in any suitable or approved manner, the said conducting-chute 12 being usually an integral portion of the plate 11. 12 has its opposite end portions inclined down ward and inward to a centralstationary spout 13, as is best shown in Fig. 3. Brackets let are secured in any desired manner to the upper side portions of the plate 11, adjacent to the opening therein, and these brackets serve to support a hopper D. This hopper is preferably made in two sections 15 and 16, the sections being adapted to slide one on the other, so that the hopper may be increased in area or decreased, as desired. Preferably the section 16 of the hopper D is provided at its ends with slots 17, through which bolts 18 pass, the bolts being carried through the corresponding portions of the section 15, and said bolts at their outer ends are provided with nuts 19, so that the two sections of the hopper may be held rigidly in their adjusted position.

Near one end of the openingin the plate 11 a transverse partition 20 is formed, (shown best in Fig. 3,) and at each side of the said opening in the plate 11 slideways 21 are produced at the sides of the conducting-chute 12, and these slideways stop short of the opposite end of the conducting-chute, so that at the end portions of the slideways 21 a clear opening 23 is provided at the upper portion of the conducting-chute, and at the opposite This conducting-chute end of the said conducting-chute another .clear opening 22 is formed.

An outwardly-flared plate 24 is secured to or may be integral with the upper portion of the plate 11, at that end which is adjacent to the platform B,'and a feed-box or carrier E is adapted to slide beneath the hopperD upon the partition 20 and the slideways 21. This feed-box or carrier consists of a bottom section 25, side sections 26, and an end section 27, which is provided with a horizontal extension 28 at its lower end. A horizontal yoke 29 is secured at the upper outer end of the feed-box or carrier E, and at the central portion of this yoke a horizontal arm 29 is preferably formed. An opening 30 is made in the bottom of the feed-box or carrier E, at that end where the flange or extension 28 is located, the opposite end of the feed-box or carrier E being open or uncovered. This feed-box or carrier E receives the sand from the hopper D, and when the feed-box or carrier E is reciprocated to a certain extent the sand will be delivered from the end portions of the feed-box or carrier through the opening in the bottom of the carrier and the opening 22 at the upper end portion of the conducting-chute, and at the same time a space will be provided between the opposite end of the feed-box or carrier and the opposing end of the conducting-chute, and as this end of the carrier is open the sand in the carrier will escape through the opening 23 in the top of the conducting chute and will also pass into the conducting-chute, so that a supply of sand is delivered at each reciprocation of the feed-box or carrier to both inclined faces or ends of the conducting-chute, and both streams of sand unite and pass out through the outlet-spout 13 of the conducting-chute. Under this arrangement it is obvious that a regular and constant supply of sand is provided from the hopper to the conductingchute, and when the feed-box or carrier E is drawn so far forward or outward that the sides of its open end engage with the flaring plate 24, as shown in Fig. 3, all the openings in the upper portion of the conducting-chute, or practically in the plate 11, will be closed, as shown in Fig. 3, and the supply of sand from the hopper to the conducting-chute will be cut OK. In order that the sand shall not wear the plate 11 and cause unnecessary friction, the openings 22 and 23 in said plate and at the top of the conducting-chute are much longer than the transverse width of the bottom portion of the feed-box or carrier E. When the feed-box or carrier E is in its full closed position, the flange 28 covers the opening 22, as is shown in both Figs. 2 and 3. The movement of the feed-box or carrier E may be limited by placing stops 31 on the sides of the feed-box or carrier at or near its outer end, the said stops being adapted for contact with the brackets 14, which support the hopper D, or with any other convenient fixture.

The feedsbox or carrierv Ev may be reciprocated in any suitable or approved manner. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the device which imparts movement to the feed-box or carrier consists of a lever 32, which is pivoted to a suitable support on the floor 10 of the car. The upper end of this lever 32 is pivotally connected with the extension 29 of the yoke 29, and the lower end of the lever 32 is pivotally attached to a coupling 33, which receives a rod 34, and this rod 34 extends beneath the platform B and is attached to a second coupling 35, which latter coupling is pivotally connected with an elbow-lever 3o, suitably fulcrumed beneath the platform B, and the horizontal or upper member of this lever 36 -is usually operated by a push button or pin 37, located in the platform 13 and engaging with the lever 36. This push button or pin may be operated by the foot of the motorman or driver or by a hand-lever.

It is very necessary that the sand passing from the conducting-chute 12 should be distributed along one of the rails, no matter whether the car be traveling on a straight stretch of a road or ispassing around a curve. In order to bring about such a result, a delivery-chute F is either swiveled to or is pivotally connected with the spout 13 at the bottom portion of the conducting-chute. This delivery-chute is pivoted on pins, as shown, and at or near the lower end of the deliverychute F said chute is engaged by a fork 38, attached to a rod 39, and this rod is connected with the adjacent truck 40 of the car, so that the delivery-chute F will be held over a rail, no matter whether the car be traveling on straight rails or on curved rails.

It may here be remarked that a spring 11 is attached to the lever 36 and to the under face of the platform B, and this spring serves to restore the elbow-lever 36 to its normal position when released from the pressure of the push button or pin 37.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A track-sanding device comprisingahopper having a sand-outlet, and a feed-box or carrier mounted to reciprocate beneath the hopper and constructed to deliver sand from both of its ends, as described. I

2. A track-sanding device comprising a hopper having a sand-outlet, a conducting-chute below the hopper and a feed-box or carrier mounted to reciprocate at the upper portion of the conducting-chute, which feed-box or carrier is provided with sand-outlets at opposite ends which serve to simultaneously deliver sand to different portions of the conducting-chute as said carrier is reciprocated over the conducting-chute, the carrier in one position cutting oif communication between the hopper and conducting chute, as de scribed.

3. A track-sandin g device comprising a hopper having a san d-outlet, a conducting-chute below the hopper, having an upper partition and openings at opposite sides of the partition, a feed-box or carrier mounted to slide between the hopper and conducting-chute, over the latter, the said box or carrier having delivery-openings for sand at both of its ends, which openings in one position of the carrier are adapted to register with the upper openings in the conducting-chute, and means for closing the upper openingsin the conductingchnte at a second position of the bOX or carrier.

at. Atrack-sandingdevice,eomprisingahopper, a conducting-chute below the hopper, a feed-box or carrier mounted to slide between the hopper and conducting-chute over the latter, means for reciprocating the feed-box or carrier, the said feed-box or carrier having delivery-openings for sand at opposite ends, and the conducting-chute being provided with receivingopenings adapted to register with the outlets of the feed-box or carrier, and a delivery-chute pivotally connected with the conducting-chute and adapted for connection with the truck of a car, as described.

5. A track-sanding device, comprising a plate adapted for attachment to a car, said plate having an opening therein, and a partition crossing said opening near one end, a conducting-chute connected with said plate and extending below the same, a hopper supported from the said plate above the conducting-chute, a feed-box or carrier mounted to slide at the open portion of said plate, the feed-box or carrier having an opening in its bottom at one end and being entirely open at the opposing end, a flange formed on the said feed-box or carrier at the bottom portion of that end adjacent to the opening in the botto1n,and means for reciprocating said feedbox or carrier beneath the hopper and over the conducting-chute, as set forth.

6. In atrack-sanding device, a hopper having a sand-outlet, a conducting-chute below the said hopper, a feed-box or carrier mounted to slide at the upper portion of the conducting-chute and below the hopper, the said feed-box or carrier having an opening at each end to permit sand to pass from the interior into the conducting-chute, the said conducting-chute having openings adapted to register with theopenings in the carrier, the openings in the condueting-chute being of greater area than the openings in the carrier, for the purpose specified.

7. A track-sanding device, comprising a conducting-chute, a hopper supported above the conducting-chute, a feed-box or carrier mounted to slide at the upper portion of said conducting-chute and below the hopper, said carrier being provided with outlet-openings at opposite ends, an adj nstable delivery-chute connected with the outlet of the conducting chute, and a means for connecting the de1ivcry-chute with a truck of a car, as described.

8. In a track-sanding device, a hopper construeted in two sections, corresponding ends of which sections are arranged to slide one upon the other, the ends of one section being provided with horizontal slots, and bolts passed through the said slots into the engaging ends of the opposing section, and tightening devices for the said bolts, as for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WASHINGTON IIARVY KILBOURN.

Witnesses:

LAURA A. HOYT, HENRY J. FIELD. 

